Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle

ABSTRACT

An unmanned vehicle capable of operating in harsh environments is disclosed. The unmanned vehicle includes an aerial platform, a piloting system supported by the aerial platform, a medium source supported by the aerial platform, and a control system having a processor running computer executable code that actuates the medium source to emit a medium away from the aerial vehicle with an intensity sufficient to disorient a subject when the medium interacts with an exteroceptive sense of a subject.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present patent application claims priority to the provisional patentapplications identified by U.S. Ser. No. 62/629,456 filed on Feb. 12,2018, U.S. Ser. No. 62/632,844 filed on Feb. 20, 2018, and U.S. Ser. No.62/633,818 filed on Feb. 22, 2018, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Tactical personnel, such as law enforcement and warfighters, use bright,modulated light to subdue attackers in dark or nighttime situations.

When a strobe light is directed to an aggressor's eyes, the rapidmodulation of the light creates a disorienting effect to which it takestime for the brain to adjust. Tactical personnel can use the time anaggressor or aggressors is/are disoriented to their advantage to subduethe aggressor or retreat from a threat. This is often a favorable optionbecause it offers tactical personnel a non-violent way of reacting to apotential threat.

The main effect of a strobe light directed into the eyes of a potentialaggressor is that it disorients the potential aggressor giving tacticalpersonnel time to react appropriately. It takes several seconds beforethe aggressor can adequately adjust to the light which gives tacticalpersonnel time to flee or strike depending on the situation.

Because of the disorienting effect, the subject of the strobe light isfar less able to use force. The use of force by an assailant requirescoordination and the strobe light will disrupt that ability for severalseconds.

The aggressor ho has had the strobe light shined in their eyes willsuffer from considerably reduced peripheral vision which limits theaggressor's ability to see and respond to events outside of a limiteddegree of view. This allows tactical personnel a better chance to escapeor approach the aggressor with less chance being detected or attacked.

In some tactical situations, tactical personnel would benefit fromintelligence gathered from outside of a budding, such as a house, priorto taking action. Observation inside a building may be limited byseveral factors including windows that are high and inaccessible, windowcoverings, dark rooms, and windows that are too far away to hear soundsfrom inside the room.

Therefore, there is a need for a surveillance device that is configuredto provide information to tactical personnel indicative of activitiesoccurring within the building.

Further, high-temperature survivability is a critical capability whenusing unmanned vehicles in certain situations such as fire-fighting.However, the construction of most vehicles, such as unmanned aerialvehicles is not ideal for such high-temperature environments. Therefore,a need exists for unmanned vehicles that can perform in high-temperatureenvironments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate one or more implementationsdescribed herein and, together with the description, explain theseimplementations. The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale, andcertain features and certain views of the figures may be shownexaggerated, to scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity andconciseness. Not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Likereference numerals in the figures may represent and refer to the same orsimilar element or function. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary unmanned vehicleconstructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of one embodiment of the unmanned vehicle ofFIG. 1 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical system of the unmannedvehicle of FIG. 1 surrounded by a thermal barrier in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a surveillance device constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of another surveillance device constructedin accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of another surveillance device constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the surveillance device of FIG. 6 in amounted position in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing various embodiments of the present disclosure in moredetail by way of exemplary descriptions, examples, and results, it is tobe understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are notlimited in application to the details of systems, methods, andcompositions as set forth in the following description. The embodimentsof the present disclosure are capable of other embodiments or of beingpracticed or carried out in various ways. As such, the language usedherein is intended to be given the broadest possible scope and meaning;and the embodiments are meant to be exemplary, not exhaustive. Also, itis to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed hereinis for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limitingunless otherwise indicated as so. Moreover, in the following detaileddescription, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will beapparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, features which are well known topersons of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detailto avoid unnecessary complication of the description.

Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used inconnection with the embodiments of the present disclosure shall have themeanings that are commonly understood by those having ordinary skill inthe art. Further,unless otherwise required by context, singular termsshall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.

All patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publicationsreferenced in any portion of this application are herein expresslyincorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as ifeach individual patent or publication was specifically and individuallyindicated to be incorporated by reference.

As utilized in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure,the following terms, unless otherwise indicated, shall be understood tohave the following meanings.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term“comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” butit is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,”and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claimsand/or the specification is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitlyindicated to refer to alternatives only or when the alternatives aremutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition thatrefers to only alternatives and “and/or.” The use of the term “at leastone” will be understood to include one as well as any quantity more thanone, including but not limited to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20,30, 40, 50, 100, or any integer inclusive therein. The term “at leastone” may extend up to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the term towhich it is attached; in addition, the quantities of 100/1000 are not tobe considered limiting, as higher limits may also produce satisfactoryresults. In addition, the use of the term “at least one of X, Y and Z”will be understood to include X alone, Y alone, and Z alone, as well asany combination of X, Y, and Z.

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (andany form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having”(and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and anyform of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing”(and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) areinclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecitedelements or method steps.

The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to allpermutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term.For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to includeat least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is importantin a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, AGB, BAC, or CAB.Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations thatcontain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AAB, BBC,AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan understandthat typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in anycombination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that avalue includes the inherent variation of error that exists among thestudy subjects. Further, in this detailed description, each numericalvalue (e.g., temperature or time) should be read once as modified by theterm “about” (unless already expressly so modified), and then read againas not so modified unless otherwise indicated in context. Also, anyrange listed or described herein is intended to include, implicitly orexplicitly, any number within the range, particularly all integers,including the end points, and is to be considered as having been sostated. For example, “a range from 1 to 10” is to be read as indicatingeach possible number, particularly integers, along the continuum betweenabout 1 and about 10. Thus, even if specific data points within therange, or even no data points within the range, are explicitlyidentified or specifically referred to, it is to be understood that anydata points within the range are to be considered to have beenspecified, and that the inventors possessed knowledge of the entirerange and the points within the range. Further, an embodiment having afeature characterized by the range does not have to be achieved forevery value in the range, but can be achieved for just a subset of therange. For example, where a range covers units 1-10, the featurespecified by the range could be achieved for only units 4-6 in aparticular embodiment.

As used herein, the term “substantially” means that the subsequentlydescribed event or circumstance completely occurs or that thesubsequently described event or circumstance occurs to a great extent ordegree. For example, the term “substantially” means that thesubsequently described event or circumstance occurs at least 90% of thetime, or at least 95% of the time, or at least 98% of the time.

Referring to the Figures, and in particular to FIG. 1 depicts anexemplary unmanned vehicle 10 for remotely disorienting a subject. Theunmanned vehicle 10 supplies a medium to be received by and stimulate atleast one exteroceptive sensor of the subject at a level sufficient totemporarily disorient the subject. Exemplary subjects include human ornon-human animals. Examples of non-human animals including a dog, a cat,a coyote, a wolf, a mountain lion, or the like.

Exemplary exteroceptive sensors include eyes, nerves involving a senseof touch, ears, tastebuds, and nose. Generally, the unmanned vehicle 10is configured to provide the medium to the subject without endangeringthe operator or persons in surrounding environments. The unmannedvehicle 10 may follow a flight path above and/or about the subject at arelatively close distance avoiding obstacles such as a tower, antenna,wire, and/or the like. Additionally, the unmanned vehicle 10 may beconfigured to output 2D images, or three dimensional or two dimensionalfiles (e.g., CAD files) of the subject for identification, operatormonitoring and/or other purposes.

In some embodiments, the unmanned vehicle 10 may comprise a mediumsource 14, collision detection and avoidance system 16, an aerialplatform 18, onboard data processing and transmission system 20, acontrol system 22, and a piloting system 24. In some embodiments, theunmanned vehicle 10 may further include a distance sensor 25 configuredto measure a distance between the aerial platform 18 and the subject.The distance sensor 25 may measure the distance between the aerialplatform 18 and the subject when the unmanned vehicle 10 is in useand/or for each period in which the medium source 14 is actuated toproduce the medium, for example. Generally, each element of the unmannedvehicle 10 may be used to disorient the subject. For example, using thepiloting system 24, a user may pilot the aerial platform 18 via a remotecontrol system 51 (FIG. 2), virtual reality, augmented reality,smartphone (e.g., iPhone), tablet, joystick, and/or the like. In someembodiments, the unmanned vehicle 10 may be piloted autonomously (i.e.,user direction may be optional). One or more cameras (e.g., stereoscopiccamera, standard camera, 360 degree camera, combinations thereof, or thelike) on the aerial platform 18 may present one or more views of theenvironment to the user. For example, the user may be provided one ormore views of a natural environment for positioning and/or moving theaerial platform 18 around the subject. The virtual or augmented realitymay allow for the user to observe the subject and/or the environmentfrom the point of view of the aerial platform 18, as if the user is onthe aerial platform 18. Additionally, virtual or augmented reality mayprovide the user additional information about flight and/or operatingstatus of the aerial platform 18. In some embodiments, the user mayutilize a radio-frequency control module configured to transmit commandsto the aerial platform 18 during flight of the aerial platform 18. Thenature of the commands may depend on flying and/or propulsion mechanismin use by the aerial platform 18, including, but not limited to,multiple rotors (e.g., quad or octo-rotor), jet propulsion, a fixed wingwith one or more propellers (not shown), or non-fixed wing with multiplerotors 25 which are labeled in FIG. 2 with the reference numerals 26 a,26 b, 26 c and 26 d, or the like. It should be noted that any suitablenumber of rotors 26 can be provided, such as 4, 6 or 8, for example.

Once the aerial platform 18 is in flight, the medium source 14 may beused to emit the medium to disorient the subject, assist in piloting theaerial platform 18, or illuminate the subject. The medium source 14 mayinclude an optical source 28 capable of projecting electromagneticenergy (e,g., visible light) onto the subject and preferably into theeyes and/or on the face of the subject. The medium source 14 may useother types of mediums, such as sound, thermal energy, or the like, totemporarily disorient the subject. An optical sensor 32 of the mediumsource 14 may record data of the illumination (i.e., projection of theoptical pattern 30) on the subject. The mounting of the optical source28 and the optical sensor 32 on the aerial platform 18 may provide therigidity to ensure that the optical source 28 and the optical sensor 32remain in the same geometrical relationship (i.e., static geometricalrelationship) with each other without significant movement during and/orbetween recording events. Additionally, such mounting may be lightweightto avoid consuming payload capacity of the aerial platform 18.

The data obtained from the optical sensor 32 may be used to locate thesubject and direct the piloting system 24 to aim the optical source 28.For example, the control system 22 can be programmed with a facialrecognition algorithm to scan one or more image depicting the subjectthat is generated by the optical sensor 32 to locate the face and/oreyes of the subject within the images. Once the face and/or eyes of thesubject is located, the control system 22 would provide suitableinstructions to the piloting system 24 to move the position and/ororientation of the aerial platform 18 (and/or a gimbal connected to theaerial platform 18 and the optical sensor 32) to aim the mediumgenerated by the optical source at the face and/or eyes of the subject.Other types of recognition programs can be used depending upon the typeof medium to be provided. For example, for sound, the recognitionprogram may look for the subject's head or ears. In some embodiments,the distance between the optical source 28 and the optical sensor 32,angular orientation of the optical source 28 and the optical sensor 32can be fixed or dynamic. In some embodiments, the optical source 28 mayilluminate the subject in a strobed fashion, or with a series ofdifferent optical patterns. For example, the colors of the light can bechanged to further disorient the subject. During the illuminationseries, the user may attempt to maintain the aerial platform 18 at astationary position, or the piloting system may be controlled to followthe subject.

In some embodiments, an optional external optical source 34 may provideadditional medium(s) aimed at the subject to disorient the subject. Anexemplary external optical source 34 may be a flashlight operated by apolice officer. Such scans may provide data on the environmentsurrounding the subject, to assist in aiming the optical source 28 atthe face, head, eyes or ears, of the subject. For example, the controlsystem 22 may be programmed to determine the location of where theadditional medium is pointing by using information obtained from theoptical sensor 32, and provide control instructions to the pilotingsystem 24. The information from the external optical source 34 can alsobe used to avoid collisions with the subject and/or interfering objectsthat may damage, incapacitate and/or destroy the aerial platform 18.

The control system 22 may generally coordinate the operation of themedium source 14, the collision detection and avoidance system 16, theonboard data processing and transmission system 20 and the distancesensor 25. For example, for the medium source 14, the control system 22may determine the number of strobes per second, illumination time foreach strobe, and/or the time at which the optical sensor 32 may sampleand/or store the output for further processing and/or transmission. Thecontrol system 22 may obtain input from the collision detection andavoidance system 16 and either alert the user when the aerial platform18 may be at a pre-determined distance to the subject or interferingobject, thus allowing the user to decide appropriate action. In someembodiments, the control system 22 may signal the aerial platform 18 totake rapid evasive action independent of the user.

In some embodiments, the onboard data processing and transmission system20 may perform initial electronic processing in preparation fortransmission to a collection station 40. Such processing may include,but is not limited to, data compression, preliminary registration (e.g.,compensation for movement of the aerial platform 18 between captures),encapsulation of data in a format used by a transmission link, and/orthe like.

In some embodiments, a transmitter 42 (e.g., RE transmitter) of theonboard data processing and transmission system 20 may transmit theprocessed data to the collection station 40. For example, thetransmitter 42 may transmit the processed data to the collection stationvia a network 44 and/or cloud. Such network 44 may be implemented as theWorld Wide Web (or Internet) a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), a metropolitan network, a wireless network, a cellularnetwork, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a codedivision multiple access (CDMS) network, a 3G network, a 4G network, a5G network, a satellite network, a radio network, an optical network, acable network, a public switched telephone network, an Ethernet network,combinations thereof, and/or the like. It is conceivable that in thenear future, embodiments of the present disclosure may use more advancednetworking topologies.

Location of the collection station 40 may include, but is not limitedto, a vehicle, building, or other stationary object, or a second aerialvehicle (e.g., airplane). Within the collection station 40, or within asecond location in communication with the collection station 40, areceiver may collect and/or retrieve the processed data sent by thetransmitter 42.

Thus, in some embodiments, the optical source 28 may be strobed ormodulated between a first state (e.g., on) and a second state having areduced intensity relative to the first state (e.g., off). The controlsystem 22 may modulate the optical source 28 between 5 and 25 hz. Theoptical source 28 may be mounted on an unmanned aerial platform 18,which offers some distinct advantages as compared to tactical personneldirectly holding the light. Since the aerial platform 18 can bepositioned away from tactical personnel, the remotely modulated lightwould give tactical personnel a relatively safe period to act. Theremotely positioned light would also put law enforcement in theperipheral vision of the subject (e.g., aggressor) who's peripheralvision has been desensitized by the strobe thereby giving lawenforcement a tactical advantage to take action or not be detected.

The optical source 28 can be any light emitting device that can berapidly modulated. LED(s) and laser(s) are ideal candidates. Theseoptical sources can be aimed at the face/eyes, which can be accomplishedmanually by the user sending instructions to the piloting system 24, orautomatically using facial recognition algorithms to locate thesubject's face/eyes in images obtained by the optical sensor 32. Theaerial platform 18 can then accurately aim the strobed light for maximumlocalized effect while using a minimum beam size.

The control system 22 may use any computational algorithm existing foridentification of objects of interest in images collected by the opticalsensor 32 and such computation algorithm may be stored in anon-transitory computer readable medium. Generally, the control system22 may include one or more processors coupled with the non-transitorycomputer readable medium, and configured to automatically execute thismethodology to identify and/or obtain information about objects ofinterest for a variety of purposes.

The control system 22 may include one or more processors. The term“processor” will include multiple processors unless the term “processor”is limited by a singular term, such as “only one processor”. In someembodiments, the processor may be partially or completely network-basedor cloud-based. The processor may or may not be located in a singlephysical location. Additionally, multiple processors may or may not benecessarily located in a single physical location.

The processor may include, but are not limited to, implementation as avariety of different types of systems, such as a digital signalprocessor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a field programmablegate array (FPGA), a microprocessor, a multi-core processor, aquantumprocessor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), agraphics processing unit (GPU), a visual processing unit (VPU),combinations thereof, and/or the like.

The processor may be capable of reading and/or executing executable codestored in the one or more non-transitory processor readable mediumand/or of creating, manipulating, altering, and/or storing computer datastructures into the one or more non-transitory processor readablemedium. The non-transitory processor readable medium may be implementedas any type of memory, such as random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, ahard drive, a solid state drive, a flash drive, a memory card, aDVD-ROM, a floppy disk, an optical drive, and combinations thereof, forexample. The non-transitory readable medium may be located in the samephysical location as the processor, or located remotely from theprocessor and may communicate via a network. The physical location ofthe non-transitory processor readable medium may be varied, and may beimplemented as a “cloud memory”, i.e., one or ore non-transitoryprocessor readable medium may be partially, or completely based on oraccessed via a network.

In some embodiments, the control system 22 may be configured to receiveadditional data from one or more external sources. In some embodiments,the external source may be user inputted data. In some embodiments, theexternal source 64 may be data associated with a third party system(e.g., weather, GPS satellite). The information may be provided via anetwork or input device, including, but not limited to, a keyboard,touchscreen, mouse, trackball, microphone, fingerprint reader, infraredport, slide-out keyboard, flip-out keyboard, call phone, PDA, video gamecontroller,remote control, fax machine, network interface, speechrecognition, gesture recognition, eye tracking, brain-computerinterface, combinations thereof, and/or the like.

In some embodiments, prior to movement of the aerial platform 18, a usermay provide the control system 22 with some or all parameters to aid theCDAS system 16 in navigation. Parameters may include, but are notlimited to, information identifying the subject, suggested flight path,estimated height of subject. The CDAS system 16 may include AI softwareconfigured to navigate the aerial platform 18 based on parametersreceived data from environment mapping, extracted data from scanningdata processed onboard or provided via network from a user, and/or thelike.

The aerial platform 18 may be configured to support and move the mediumsource 14, CDAS 16, onboard processing and transmission system 20,control system 22, and piloting system 24 within the air. Generally, theaerial platform 18 may be configured to move at a predetermined lowspeed (e.g., 1 km/h). Additionally, the aerial platform 18 may beconfigured to hover (i.e., remain stationary) within the air. Forexample, the aerial platform 18 may be configured to move at a low speedor hover as the optical source 28 is aimed at the subject or the opticalsensor 32 obtains sensor data of the subject. The aerial platform 18 mayalso include load capacity permitting unimpeded aerial navigation whiletransporting the medium source 14 and CDAS 16. Further, the aerialplatform 18 may be configured to carry fuel to sustain long periods offlight (e.g., 2 hours) prior to refueling to minimize time to complete ascanning process for the structure 12.

Generally, the aerial platform 18 may include one or more mechanicalplatforms, one or more propulsion systems, and one or more mountingsystems. The piloting system 24 may aid in providing direction to theone or more propulsion systems 52 or the mounting system 54. In someembodiments, the mounting system 54 may be connected between the opticalsensor 32 and the mechanical platform 50 such that the mechanicalplatform 50 prevents the optical sensor 32 from hitting the ground whenthe aerial platform 18 lands. In some embodiments, the mounting system54 may include a gimbal for moving the optical sensor 32 relative to themechanical platform 50.

In some embodiments, the propulsion system 52 may include two or morerotors 26 (e.g., helicopter, quadcopter, octocopter). In someembodiments, the four or more rotors 26 may be attached to electricmotors 27 (only one of which is numbered in FIG. 2) for rotating therotors 26. In some embodiments, relative rotational velocity of the fouror more rotors 26 may be configured to control direction and/or speed offlight of the aerial platform 18. By controlling the relative rotationalvelocity of the four or more rotors 26, the aerial platform 18 mayobtain slow and/or stationary flight (i.e., hovering), and may operatefor extended periods of time. The aerial platform 18 may include otherconfigurations of the propulsion system 52 configured to utilizedifferent placement and/or propulsion providing slow and/or stationaryflight.

In some embodiments, the aerial platform 18 may include one or morepower sources (not shown). The power sources may include one or moresupplies of power to at least one or more electric loads on the aerialplatform 18. The one or more power sources may include, but are notlimited to electrical, solar, mechanical, or chemical energy. Forexample, in some embodiments, fuel may be used to power one or morecomponents of the aerial platform 18. Additionally, one or morebatteries may be included as one or more power sources for the aerialplatform 18.

In some embodiments, a diameter of the medium generated by the mediumsource 14 can be automatically adjusted to a minimum effective sizerelative to the size which is proportionate to the size of the face anddistance from the light source.

In some embodiments, the disorientation system may be provided with twoor more medium sources 14. For example, one of the medium sources 14 canbe used to provide a modulated light source, and another one of themedium sources 14 may be used to generate a colocated sound to furtherdraw attention to the aerial platform 18 and further disorient thesubject.

The control system 22 of the aerial platform 18 may be programmed toprovide instructions to the piloting system 24 in a way that moves theaerial platform 18 to offer a tactical advantage. One such movementwould be in a direction that draws attention progressively away from thetactical team. Another pattern would be for the aerial platform toautomatically move to a position furthest from the tactical team therebydrawing attention away from the team.

In some embodiments, coordinated strobe patterns from multiple aerialplatforms could give the illusion of movement and further confuse thesubject.

In use, the aerial platform 18 is piloted near a subject, and the mediumsource 14 is aimed at the subject and actuated as discussed above. Insome embodiments, the medium source 14 can be actuated to generate themedium prior to aiming the medium source 14 at the subject.

High-temperature survivability is a critical capability when usingunmanned vehicles in certain situations such as fire-fighting. However,the construction of most previous vehicles, such as unmanned aerialvehicles is not ideal for such high-temperature environments. To improvethe survivability of these vehicles, several inventive approaches can betaken as described below.

First, in an exemplary embodiment the mechanical platform 50 includes ahousing 60 surrounding electronics and other components forming theavoidance system 16, the transmission system 20, the control system 22,the piloting system 24, and the transmitter 42. Components of thesesystems which should be exposed to the environment around the housing,such as certain types of sensors, may be provided through an opening inthe housing 60. As explained in more detail below, the unmanned vehicle10 includes a temperature buffer 70 around the electronics. Thetemperature buffer 70 (FIG. 3) is configured to protect the electronicsfrom temperatures outside of the housing 60 above maximum thermaloperating characteristics of the electronics. The temperature buffer 70can be constructed of a material configured to reflect electromagneticwavelengths in a range of 500 um to 2 um, an insulating material, acooling material, a phase change material and combinations thereof.

In use, the unmanned vehicle 10 may be exposed to fire and is subjectedto significant radiative heat transfer. The radiative heat transfer canbe minimized by covering the vehicle's components, including the housing60 with IR-reflective materials that reflect wavelengths in the 500 umto 2 um range. One applicable covering or construction material isaluminum. This material can be applied directly to the underlyingstructure, such as the housing 60 or can be stood off slightly to act asa radiative heat shield.

A second approach to reducing temperature rise in the unmanned vehicle10 is to incorporate phase change materials (PCM) into the constructionof the unmanned vehicle 10. Initially, solid-liquid PCMs behave likesensible heat storage (SHS) materials. The temperature of the phasechange material rises as the phase change material absorbs heat. WhenPCMs reach the temperature at which they change phase (the PCM's meltingtemperature) the PCM absorb large amounts of heat and remain at analmost constant temperature. The PCM continues to absorb heat without asignificant rise in temperature until all the PCM is transformed to theliquid phase. Long chain paraffin wax is one such material that changesphase at moderate temperatures and could be used to absorb heat. Anotheralternative is water. Liquid water stored in the mechanical platform 50must be boiled before the surrounding structure temperature can riseabove 100 C which is still cool enough to protect most electronics,including integrated circuitry. Thus, temperature sensitive componentsof the unmanned vehicle 10, such as electronics within the avoidancesystem 16, the transmission system 20, the control system 22, thepiloting system 24, the transmitter 42, and any motor(s) driving therotors 26 can be surrounded by a container containing the PCM. Ice isanother example of a phase change material in which the ice transformingfrom solid to liquid is an option. Further, another material, such aschilled water or an antifreeze liquid can be passed across the ice andthroughout sensitive components of the unmanned vehicle 10. Thecontainer can be designed to have an inlet or outlet, so that the PCMcan be removable and replaced with fresh PCM. In some embodiments, thiscan be accomplished by implementing the container holding the PCM as areplaceable cartridge. The time it takes to transform all of the PCMadds to a safe operating time that the unmanned vehicle 10 can beexposed to extreme heat. Once all of the PCM material has changed phase,it must be “regenerated” by waiting for the PCM to cool. Alternatelyonboard water could be sprayed onto sensitive components for cooling oratomized water could be delivered to external vehicle components to takeadvantage of evaporative cooling. Water can also be stored in thevehicle in a frozen state which then requires a great deal of energyabsorption to transition the material through two phase changes prior tothe protected structures exceeding 100 degrees C.

Sensitive components may also be insulated with a suitable insulatingmaterial, such as an aerogel which offers tremendous insulatingproperties with minimal weight. Aerogel typically has a density between0.0011 to 0.5 g cm-3, with a typical average of around 0.020 g cm-3.This means that aerogel is usually only 15 times heavier than air, andhas been produced at a density of only 3 times that of air. A typicalsilica aerogel has a total thermal conductivity of ˜0.017 W/mK.Temperature sensitive components of the unmanned vehicle 10, such aselectronics within the avoidance system 16, the transmission system 20,the control system 22, the piloting system 24, the transmitter 42, andany motor(s) driving the rotors 26 (especially those that generatelittle heat) can survive longer in hot environments when protected withsuch materials.

The temperature of the rotors 26, being thin and lightweight, is alsoconsidered when maximizing vehicle operating longevity at hightemperatures. Unmitigated, the rotor temperature will quickly reachambient temperatures due to the thin, lightweight structure and enhancedconvective heat transfer resulting from the rotor's velocity through theair. The rotors 26 can be constructed from heat resistant materials suchas graphene, graphite, or carbon nanotubes (i.e. Miralon). Anotherapproach to cooling the rotor 26 is by pumping a cool, or liquid phasechanging material through one or more blade(s) of the rotors 26 inflight. In some embodiments, this can be accomplished by passing cooledair (e.g. air passed across the PCM) through passages in the rotors 26.

The optical sensor 32, such as a thermal camera and other electronics,may also be sensitive to heat. In this case, heat levels elevated abovean operating temperature range of the optical sensor 32 affects theoptical sensor's ability to function and generate high-quality images.These components can be cooled with a liquid or gas. For example, thesecomponents can be cooled with water from an onboard ice bath whichincreases the performance of the optical sensor 32. The optical sensor32 may be configured to detect and form images of energy in a longwaveinfrared having a wavelength between 6 um to 12 um. The optical sensor32 may be cooled by the phase change material, such as water. Printedcircuit boards and their associated components can be cooled by asimilar means. Internal cavities can be used to carry cooled liquidinside the printed circuit board thereby cooling the board and keycomponents. In some embodiments, the unmanned vehicle 10 may include anatomizer (not shown) on the mechanical platform 50, and a fluid deliverysystem (not shown) connected to the atomizer and configured to supply afluid to the atomizer, whereby atomized fluid can be released outside ofthe mechanical platform 50 during flight of the aerial platform 18 tocreate a cooler operating environment.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a surveillance device 100 for performingsurveillance through a material 102 (e.g., window, wall, or the like)that may be delivered and/or part of an unmanned aerial vehicle such asunmanned vehicle 10 is described. In general, the surveillance device100 may be provided with a portable housing 104, a mounting assembly 106(such as a suction cup), accessory package 108, a wireless transceiver110, a power supply 112, and electronics 114 configured to control thesurveillance device 100. The portable housing 104 has a rear face 116, afront face 118, and a peripheral side wall 120 formed therebetween. Themounting assembly 106 is connected to the housing 104 and extends fromthe front face 118 of the housing 104. The mounting assembly 106 isconfigured to connect the housing 104 to the material 102 in apredetermined orientation. The accessory package 108 may be providedwith a controller 122 and at least one illumination device 124 toselectively emit a predetermined light spectrum in an emission path.

The predetermined orientation and the emission path are selected suchthat the emission path passes through the material 102 upon connectingthe housing 104 to the material 102 in the predetermined orientation.The wireless transceiver 110 is coupled to the accessory package 108,and is configured to receive wireless instructions and pass the wirelessinstructions to the controller 122 of the accessory package 108. Thefirst wireless instruction instructing the controller 122 to actuate theillumination device 124. The power supply 112 is mounted in the housing104 and is configured to supply electrical power. The power supply leadsare constructed of a conductive material, and connected to terminals onthe power supply 112. The power supply leads are connected to theaccessory package 108 and the wireless transceiver 110 whereby powerapplied to the power supply leads is supplied to the controller 122, theat least one emission device 124 and the wireless transceiver 110.

In some embodiments, the portable housing 104 is in the form of a darthaving a shape that reduces drag from air moving past the portablehousing 104. In other embodiments, the portable housing 104 is in theform of a drone body. The material 102 can be a window, and thepredetermined light spectrum includes light that is visible to a human.The mounting assembly 106 may be, but is not limited to, a suction cup,an adhesive strip, tape, glue, or other tacky substances, for example.

Examples of accessories that could be include in the accessory package108 include:

-   -   Microphones—including various types such as contact microphones        having a probe to contact the material (window or wall); a laser        microphone that uses a laser beam to sense vibration within the        material; or an acoustic microphone that uses a sensor to detect        vibrations passing within air.    -   Cameras (may include artificial intelligence/image recognition        to sense and identify movements). The cameras may also be        configured to receive and interpret mediums other than visible        light, such as an infrared portion or millimeter band        electromagnetic waves of the electromagnetic spectrum.    -   Motion detectors.    -   Lights (visible, non-visible, etc.).    -   Transmitters to transmit sensor data.    -   Receivers to remotely actuate lights or other accessories.        Delivery of the window mountable accessories can be via:    -   Long range dart launched via a mechanical mechanism (i.e., a        gun, 12 gauge round from a shotgun, e.g., Remington brand model        870, with a reduced charge sufficient to connect the dart to the        window without breaking the window).    -   Dart launched by unmanned vehicle 10 using any sufficient        propulsion system, such as spring, pneumatic or the like.    -   Dart placed via immediate proximity by unmanned vehicle 10.    -   Accessory mounted by hand.

The accessory package 108 sensors transmit at least one of imagery andsound via a wireless connection to law enforcement. The accessorypackage 108 may also be configured to recognize movement and transmitaudio alarms to law enforcement.

One or more light may be remotely controlled in some configurations.When light(s) are used, it is beneficial for the back side (facing awayfrom the material 102) to be black to block light illuminating theopposite direction.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a surveillance device 150 formed asa dart 152 having a battery 154 powering a light source 156. Thesurveillance device 150 may be attached to a material 158 via anattachment device 160 such as a suction cup. In such an embodiment, thelight source 156 of the surveillance device 150 may be automaticallytriggered when the dart 152 is fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle,for instance, such that when the surveillance device 150 attaches to thematerial 158 the light source 156 shines through the material 158 toilluminate a building, for instance.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, a surveillancedevice 200 is provided with a portable housing 202 can be in the form ofan unmanned aerial vehicle 204. In such an embodiment, an accessorypackage 206, a wireless transceiver, a power supply, and a controllerare carried by the portable housing 202. In this embodiment, theunmanned aerial vehicle 204 is designed to be flown to a material 208(e.g., a window), and to connect a mounting assembly 210 (only one ofwhich is marked in FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively) to the material 208instead of landing. Then, motors on the unmanned aerial vehicle 204providing power to propellers are de-actuated so that the unmannedaerial vehicle 204 body pivots down onto the material 208 wherebyillumination source(s) of the accessory package 206 can be actuated sothat the emission path is directed through the material 208, forexample.

From the above description, it is clear that the inventive concept(s)disclosed herein are well adapted to carry out the objects and to attainthe advantages mentioned herein, as well as those inherent in theinventive concept(s) disclosed herein. While the embodiments of theinventive concept(s) disclosed herein have been described for purposesof this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may bemade and readily suggested to those skilled in the art which areaccomplished within the scope and spirit of the inventive concept(s)disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An unmanned vehicle, comprising: an aerialplatform; a piloting system supported by the aerial platform; a mediumsource supported by the aerial platform; and a control system having aprocessor running computer executable code that actuates the mediumsource to emit a medium away from the aerial vehicle with an intensitysufficient to disorient a subject when the medium interacts with anexteroceptive sense of a subject.
 2. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1,wherein the medium is a light source and the control system modulatesthe light source between a first state and a second state.
 3. Theunmanned vehicle of claim 2, wherein the control system modulates thelight source between the first state and the second state between 5 Hzand 25 Hz.
 4. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controlsystem runs computer executable code that causes the medium source to beaimed at the subjects eyes.
 5. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1, furthercomprising an optical sensor carried by the aerial vehicle andconfigured to generate images depicting a face of the subject, andwherein the control system executes a facial recognition algorithmoperating on the images to locate the subject's face, and wherein thecontrol system supplies instructions to the piloting system to aim themedium source at the subjects face.
 6. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1,wherein the medium source includes an LED configured to generate lightin the visible spectrum.
 7. The unmanned vehicle of claim 6, wherein theLED generates white light.
 8. The unmanned vehicle of claim 1, whereinthe medium source includes a laser configured to generate light in avisible spectrum, and at an intensity sufficient to be safe to eyes ofthe subject.
 9. An unmanned vehicle, comprising: an aerial platformhaving a mechanical platform and a propulsion system, the mechanicalplatform having a housing; electronics within the housing; and atemperature buffer around the electronics, the temperature bufferconfigured to protect the electronics from temperatures outside of thehousing above maximum thermal operating characteristics of theelectronics, wherein the temperature buffer is constructed of a materialselected from a group consisting of a reflective material configured toreflect electromagnetic wavelengths in a range of 500 um to 2 um, aninsulating material, a cooling material, a phase change material andcombinations thereof.
 10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein theinsulating material includes an aerogel.
 11. The unmanned vehicle ofclaim 9, wherein the phase change material includes water in the form ofliquid water or ice.
 12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein thepropulsion system includes one or more rotors that are cooled viainternal channels passing a cooling or phase changing material.
 13. Theunmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the propulsion system includes aheat generating component, and further comprising an injection systemconfigured to inject a cooling medium onto the heat generatingcomponent.
 14. The unmanned vehicle of claim 13, wherein the heatgenerating component is selected from a group consisting of a motor,electronics, and a power source.
 15. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9,further comprising an atomizer on the mechanical platform, and a fluiddelivery system connected to the atomizer and configured to supply afluid to the atomizer, whereby atomized fluid can be released outside ofthe mechanical platform to create a cooler operating environment. 16.The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an optical sensorhaving a field of view outside of the aerial platform,the optical sensorcoupled to the electronics and supported by the mechanical platform. 17.The unmanned vehicle of claim 16, wherein the optical sensor isconfigured to detect and form images of energy in a longwave infraredhaving a wavelength between 6 um to 12 um, the optical sensor beingcooled by a phase changing material.
 18. The unmanned vehicle of claim9, wherein the electronics are supported by printed circuit boardshaving internal channels carrying a cooling fluid to cool the printedcircuit board and the electronics.
 19. A surveillance device forperforming surveillance through a material transparent to apredetermined light spectrum, the surveillance device comprising: aportable housing having a rear face, a front face and a peripheral sidewall formed therebetween; a mounting assembly connected to the housingand extending from the front face of the housing, the mounting assemblyconfigured to connect the housing to the material in a predeterminedorientation; an accessory package comprising a controller,and at leastone emission device to selectively emit a predetermined light spectrumin an emission path, the predetermined orientation and the emission pathbeing selected such that the emission path passes through the materialupon connecting the housing to the material in the predeterminedorientation; a wireless transceiver coupled to the accessory package,and configured to receive wireless instructions, and pass the wirelessinstructions to the controller of the accessory package, a firstwireless instruction instructing the controller to actuate the emissiondevice; and a power supply bay in the portable housing; and power supplyleads constructed of a conductive material, and connected to terminalswithin the power supply bay, the power supply leads connected to theaccessory package and the wireless transceiver whereby power applied tothe power supply leads is supplied to the controller, the at least oneemission device and the wireless transceiver.
 20. The surveillancedevice of claim 19, wherein the portable housing is in the form of adart having a shape that reduces drag from air moving past the portablehousing.
 21. The surveillance device of claim 19, wherein the portablehousing is in the form of a drone body.
 22. The surveillance device ofclaim 19, wherein the material is a window, the predetermined lightspectrum includes light that is visible to a human.
 23. The surveillancedevice of claim 19, wherein the mounting assembly is a suction cup.